Afghanistan

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How United Kingdom Armed Forces deployed to Afghanistan as components of the international security assistance force will distinguish between insurgents, whom they are tasked to counter in support of the Afghan national forces, and terrorists, who are the responsibility of United States-led troops.

Lord Drayson: It is not a question of asking British service personnel to distinguish between an insurgent and a terrorist. It is a matter of force posture. The NATO-led international security assistance force mission is to help the Afghan Government expand their authority and to maintain security. It specifically excludes a counter-terrorism mission. United Kingdom troops always have the right to use force in self-defence regardless of whether an attacker is judged to be a terrorist or an insurgent.

Africa: Afriplanet Programme

Lord Wade of Chorlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What support they are providing for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's Afriplanet programme; and whether they will be represented at the biannual meeting of Afriplanet on 12 June in Johannesburg.

Baroness Amos: DfID provides an annual contribution of £4.6 million to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). This is not targeted at specific programmes such as Afriplanet. There are no current plans to participate at the biannual meeting on 12 June.

Africa: Investment

Lord Wade of Chorlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to promote investment in infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Amos: In response to the Commission for Africa report, the UK played a key role in establishing the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA). This major new effort to accelerate progress towards meeting the infrastructure needs of Africa was inaugurated in London on 6 October 2005. The ICA brings together all the main donors financing infrastructure in Africa. It will be results-orientated: prioritising the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) regional infrastructure projects identified in its short term action plan; acting as a broker for the funding of projects; and identifying and taking action to remove bottlenecks to progress.
	The UK has committed $20 million over three years to help with the initial work of the ICA. We have also seconded an individual to the secretariat which has been set up in the African Development Bank.
	Many commentators suggest that the problem is not just a shortage of funds but a lack of good projects to fund. The ICA has an important role in helping prepare good projects and demonstrating that sound, sustainable infrastructure projects will secure funding. Improving donor and private sector confidence in the sector to deliver good infrastructure is likely to have a significant positive impact on future funding. Progress on financing has already been made. Key donors have announced new resources or signalled their intention to increase resources, amounting to around an additional $2 billion annually.

Audit Commission

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the last efficiency and effectiveness review of the Audit Commission was undertaken; and what was the outcome of the review.

Baroness Andrews: The last efficiency review of the Audit Commission was the quinquennial financial management and policy review, which was undertaken between 1998 and 2000.
	The report of that review was published in June 2000 and contained 20 recommendations for improvement. The Government's response was published in November 2000 and both reports were placed in the Library on 11 December 2000.

Audit Commission

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the Audit Commission's procedures for handling complaints; how many complaints have been referred to the Audit Commission over the past three years; and how these complaints were resolved.

Baroness Andrews: The Audit Commission is an independent body and its complaints procedure is not a matter for government assessment but is an operational matter for the Audit Commission. I will ask the chief executive to write to the noble Lord and to ensure the answer is made available to the House.

Aviation: Health

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements are in place to publicise the work of the inter-departmental Aviation Health Working Group and the Civil Aviation Authority's Aviation Health Unit, in particular (a) the aviation health matters considered by those bodies; (b) their consequent recommendations and conclusions; and (c) the action taken on those recommendations by those to whom they are addressed.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There are no special publicity arrangements for the work of the cross-departmental Aviation Health Working Group (AHWG) because meetings are attended by external stakeholders, who include:
	BALPA—British Airline Pilots Association
	BAR UK—Board of Airline Representatives UK
	BATA—British Air Transport Association
	AUC—Air Transport Users Council
	TGWU—Transport and General Workers Union
	BA—British Airways
	UKFSC—UK Flight Safety Committee
	The head of the Aviation Health Unit (AHU) attends AHWG meetings and uses them to report to these stakeholders. Copies of the notes of meetings will be placed on the department's website.
	The AHWG agreed the following terms of reference:
	The Aviation Health Working Group will meet on a regular basis and will work in partnership with other interested parties to give effect to the government response to the House of Lords inquiry into air travel and health. Particular responsibilities identified in the response are to:
	provide a forum for interested government departments and agencies to consider issues relevant to aviation health;
	provide an interface with the air transport industry, health experts and other interested parties on aviation health issues of mutual interest;
	evaluate the need for research into issues related to air travel and health, and consider the role of government in supporting such research;
	ensure Ministers are kept informed and receive comprehensive advice on aviation health matters; and
	monitor developments that impinge on the health of those travelling by air.
	The initial focus of the work of the AHWG was to produce government-approved advice on the risks of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for air travellers. To this end the Government provided funding with the European Commission to conduct research to assess whether there is a direct link between air travel and the incidence of DVT. The summary results of this research, which was carried out by a consortium of medical research scientists under the auspices of the World Health Organisation, was published on the department's website on 21 December last year. The publication can be viewed at www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft–mobility/documents/page/dft–mobility–610897.hcsp.
	The AHWG has asked the independent Committee on Toxicity to review the evidence relating to cabin air contamination during fume events. This will help to identify the way forward on research and/or monitoring in this area.
	The group has also given consideration to other aviation health matters such as research into the use of aspirin for the prevention of DVT; medical equipment on board aircraft; and provision of supplementary oxygen to passengers.
	On the issue of recommendations, the terms of reference of the group specify the provision of advice to government. The group was not set up to make recommendations independent of government.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total amount of costs paid to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and Vendside Ltd, in respect of (a) the British Coal respiratory disease litigation; (b) the British Coal vibration white finger litigation; (c) the coal miners knee injury litigation; and (d) the British Coal industrial deafness litigation; and what provision is made for VAT on such payments.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The costs paid to Vendside Ltd for each of the above claim types are as follows:
	(a) £21.6 million;
	(b) £6 million;
	(c) none, as no such claims have been settled; and
	(d) £6 million.
	All payments are made to Vendside Ltd whether the claim was submitted by it or by the Union of Democratic Mineworkers. All figures are inclusive of VAT at standard rate.

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will take steps to raise the awareness of retired miners, their widows and families who pursued claims under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and the British Coal white finger litigation of their right to seek redress and repayment against those solicitors who charged them success fees, administration fees, or otherwise facilitated the deduction of fees from their compensation to pay to their parties.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I fully agree that anyone who has money taken inappropriately from compensation should be aware of their ability to seek redress. The department provides advice to this effect on its coal health website (www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth/01.htm). It will also be covered in the next edition of the Compensation for Miners newsletter, which will be issued shortly. There has already been considerable coverage in regional newspapers in the coal areas.
	The department has worked closely with the Law Society on the issue. The society has been taking action on individual cases over the past two years and has recently written to all solicitors involved in the coal health compensation schemes urging those who have not already refunded fees deducted from compensation to do so. The department has issued a statement supporting the Law Society's stance. The department has also made it clear that solicitors' costs associated with the schemes are covered by the department so claimants should not expect to have to make any such payments.
	The issue of the legality of deductions from compensation to go into union fees is currently before the courts.

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will instigate an independent judicial inquiry into the conduct of claimant solicitors, claims farmers and trades unions in connection with additional fees taken from claimants who pursued claims under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and the British Coal white finger litigation in circumstances where the legal costs of each claimant were provided for under the respective claims handling agreements.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The conduct of trade unions deducting fees from claimants' compensations is currently before the courts. The Minister for Energy instigated an independent external review of the handling of the department's coal health compensation schemes, the report of which was presented to the House on 15 December 2005.
	The conduct of solicitors is a matter for the Law Society. On 28 February the Law Society issued a press notice saying:
	"We urge firms which have not already done so to return to all clients any additional charges which they may have made in these cases".
	Furthermore, the Law Society has reissued regulatory guidance saying that, unless full information was given to the miner at the start of the case that most firms of solicitors did not make additional charges in these cases, any charges the solicitor makes to the claimant is likely to give rise to a finding of inadequate professional service.
	Although there are currently no laws specifically covering the activities of claims handling agents where a client willingly enters into an agreement with them, the Government commissioned an inquiry into the regulation of the legal services market. The report was issued in December 2004. Since then, the Government have published the Compensation Bill 2005 which provides for regulation of claims management services.

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which 15 solicitors have handled most claims with regard to the British Coal respiratory disease litigation; and what is the total amount of costs paid to each firm since the claims handling agreement came into operation.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The 15 solicitors who have handled most claims under the respiratory disease scheme are:
	
		
			 Solicitor Claims Registered Solicitors Costs 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 80,862 £66,722,037 
			 Thompsons 57,701 £83,767,941 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 56,116 £63,958,445 
			 Raleys Solicitors 44,790 £49,681,184 
			 Browell Smith & Co 32,321 £35,638,359 
			 Avalon 29,035 £13,626,052 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 25,547 £41,673,286 
			 Union of DemocraticMineworkers 16,630 £21,413,631 
			 Barber & Co 14,128 £11,567,096 
			 Watson Burton 14,069 £22,017,404 
			 Graysons 12,937 £20,408,977 
			 Corries 12,577 £11,282,822 
			 AMS Law 10,129 £9,382,233 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins &Martin 9,841 £13,428,831 
			 Delta Legal 9,301 £4,055,943

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which 15 solicitors have handled most claims with regard to the British Coal vibration white finger litigation; and what is the total amount of costs paid to each firm since the claims handling agreement came into operation.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The 15 solicitors who have handled most claims under the vibration white finger scheme are:
	
		
			 Solicitor Claims Registered Solicitors Costs 
			 Thompsons 21,051 £11,316,765 
			 Browell Smith & Co 16,467 £9,552,952 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 11,640 £3,961,899 
			 Union of DemocraticMineworkers 11,545 £6,002,006 
			 Raleys Solicitors 11,282 £7,599,191 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 10,636 £6,519,608 
			 Graysons 8,700 £4,529,970 
			 Moss Solicitors 7,293 £3,249,950 
			 Watson Burton 5,937 £3,490,951 
			 AMS Law 5,384 £2,084,525 
			 Towells Solicitors 5,338 £3,020,007 
			 Kidd & Spoor HarperSolicitors 3,671 £2,151,344 
			 Atteys 3,096 £2,147,411 
			 O H Parsons 2,704 £1,655,407 
			 Corries 2,384 £1,160,159

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which 15 solicitors have handled most claims with regard to the British Coal industrial deafness claims; and what is the total amount of costs paid to each firm since 1 January 2000.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The 15 solicitors who have handled most claims for industrial deafness against British Coal since 1 January 2000 are:
	
		
			 Solicitor Claims Registered Solicitors Costs 
			 Union of DemocraticMineworkers 9,538 £5,946,559 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 3,365 £2,816,936 
			 Graysons 2,578 £2,199,349 
			 Moss Solicitors 2,161 £1,262,873 
			 Browell Smith & Co 1,234 £669,744 
			 Thompsons 1,178 £717,864 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 803 £459,780 
			 Kidd & Spoor HarperSolicitors 751 £460,090 
			 Corries 735 £359,102 
			 AMS Law 728 £265,903 
			 O H Parsons 554 £392,936 
			 Irwin Mitchell 547 £331,993 
			 Towells Solicitors 483 £469,295 
			 Meloy Whittle Robinson 439 £144,575 
			 Heptonstalls Solicitors 398 £668,524

British Coal Compensation: Solicitors

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total amount of costs paid to Nabarro Nathanson, the solicitors representing the Department of Trade and Industry, in respect of (a) the British Coal respiratory disease litigation; (b) the British Coal vibration white finger litigation; (c) the coal miners knee injury litigation; and (d) the British Coal industrial deafness litigation.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: To date, the department has paid Nabarro Nathanson £23 million in relation to advice on the various litigation in (a) to (d) above. However, we do not record the information on the basis of each separate litigation so cannot break the information down as requested.

Climate Change

Lord Palmer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of how climate change may affect the availability of fuel supplies in the United Kingdom.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Department of Trade and Industry carried out an assessment in January 2006 of the way in which climate change impacts may affect the energy sector, including the availability of fuel supplies in the United Kingdom, as part of a response to a consultation organised by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the development of an adaptation policy framework to understand ways in which climate change impacts could affect the UK and to integrate adaptation to these impacts into the wider policy making process. The results of this consultation exercise, including the DTI's assessment, will be published later this year. The assessment recognised that in order to ensure reliable energy supplies in the long-term, the UK will need a dependable system of physical distribution networks and access to sufficient and affordable energy.

Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Jim Knight, on 13 March (HC Deb, 1857W), whether the 10 per cent unit cost saving in the administration of the common agricultural policy payments have caused any part of the delays in paying the single farm payment in February or March 2006.

Lord Bach: The 10 per cent unit cost saving was achieved by the Rural Payments Agency before 31 March 2005 as a result of increasing the efficiency of administering the schemes that preceded the single payment scheme (SPS). The new scheme has been fully resourced and sufficient funding has been provided to cover any transition costs associated with moving to the new processes.

Consultants: Department for Transport

Lord Smith of Clifton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much was spent each year on external management consultants by the Department for Transport and its agencies from 2000 to 2005.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The department was formed in May 2002. Details of spend on external consultants and advisers by the department are shown below:
	2002–03: £227.5 million;
	2003–04: £239.5 million;
	2004–05: £193.3 million.
	These figures include all external consultants and technical advisers, not just management consultancy. Separate figures for management consultancy are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Consultants and technical advisers provide specialist advice, knowledge and action essential to maintain our infrastructure and deliver transport improvements. They are engaged only where the department does not normally retain full-time in-house expertise.
	The Highways Agency contracts out 95 per cent of its total spend. This is for the maintenance of our national road network, to ensure we have properly maintained, safe and serviceable roads.

Department for International Development: Publications

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the printing of copies of the Department for International Development's The Rough Guide to a Better World cost; and what royalties were paid to the publishers and owners of the Rough Guide brand.

Baroness Amos: Since November 2004, 5.5 million copies of The Rough Guide to a Better World have been printed, at a cost of £1,193,800.81. The Rough Guide to a Better World is a free publication and therefore Rough Guides Ltd, the publishers and owner of the brand, has not received any royalties from the book.

Energy

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made any decision to cede greater control over energy policy to the European Union.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government have not made any decision to cede greater control over energy policy to the European Union.

Equal Opportunities Commission

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the difference in real terms, and taking account of the effects of inflation, between the amount of funding allocated to the Equal Opportunities Commission for 1978–79 and for 2005–06.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Grant in aid funding to the Equal Opportunities Commission for 1978–79 was £1,644,650. Using the HM Treasury deflator this equates to £6,225,352 in 2005-06 prices. Total funding to the Equal Opportunities Commission for 2005–06 is £9,750,000.

Equal Pay

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will reform the Equal Pay Act 1970 to eliminate sex discrimination between women and men.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of discrimination legislation. The Equal Pay Act is a particular element of this review. We expect to publish a Green Paper in the summer which we intend to lead to a Single Equality Bill, in line with the Government's manifesto to bring in such a Bill in this Parliament.

Equality Act 2006

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much they propose to allocate to the Equal Opportunities Commission to fund its duty under the Equality Act 2006 to promote gender equality across the public sector; and how this compares with the amounts allocated to the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission to fund their equivalent duties; and
	What is the basis on which they have calculated their proposed funding of the Equal Opportunities Commission to carry out its duty under the Equality Act 2006 to promote gender equality across the public sector; and
	How their proposed funding of the Equal Opportunities Commission to carry out its duty under the Equality Act 2006 to promote gender equality across the public sector compares, in terms of the demands imposed, with their funding of the equivalent duties of the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission; and
	What is the difference of treatment between the Equal Opportunities Commission and the other equality agencies with regard to the funding of its duty to promote equality of opportunity and treatment across the public sector; and what is the reason for any such difference.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Funding for FY 2006–07 for the CRE and DRC is as follows:
	the Home Office intends to allocate a grant-in-aid of £19.1 million to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE);
	the planned allocation of grant-in-aid to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is £20.902 million; this includes provision for work deriving from the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 including the forthcoming public sector duty to promote equality for disabled people. It will be for the DRC to decide how much it spends promoting disability equality in the public sector.
	Officials are still finalising the allocation for the Equal Opportunities Commission, including funding in respect of its work to promote the forthcoming gender duty. Over recent weeks there have been discussions with the EOC around agreeing its resource budget for the coming year. All DTI budgets are currently being finalised in a very tough public expenditure climate.
	The resource budget allocation for the EOC for 2005–06 is £9.75 million. This is made up of a baseline funding of £8.005 million plus one-off additional DTI funding of £1.7 million, giving a total of £9.75 million. This included £500,000 that was ring fenced for gender duty work.
	The Commission for Equality and Human Rights will come into being in October 2007. The Commission will build on the work of the current DRC and the EOC, together with the areas of sexual orientation, age, and religion or belief that are not covered by the existing Commissions. The CEHR will take on the responsibilities of the CRE in relation to race relations by the end of March 2009, putting expertise on equality, diversity and human rights all in one place. The annual budget will be £70 million which represents a 43 per cent. increase on the budget of the existing three commissions.

Equality Commissions

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What amounts of funding were allocated to (a) the Equal Opportunities Commission; (b) the Commission for Racial Equality; and (c) the Disability Rights Commission for 2005–06; what funding is proposed for each of these commissions in 2006–07; and what criteria were used to decide whether the funding would be reasonably sufficient to enable each commission to perform its public functions.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Funding for FY 2006–07 for the CRE and DRC is being planned as follows:
	the Home Office intends to allocate a grant-in-aid of £19.1 million to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE);
	the planned allocation of grant-in-aid to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is £20.902 million; this includes provision for work deriving from the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 including the forthcoming public sector duty to promote equality for disabled people.
	The relevant sponsor department decides each commission's funding in the light of the commission's plans and departmental priorities.
	Officials are finalising the allocation for the Equal Opportunities Commission, including funding in respect of its work to promote the forthcoming gender duty. There have been discussions with the EOC around this. All DTI budgets are currently being finalised in a very tough public expenditure climate.
	The resource budget allocation for the EOC for 2005–06 is £9.75 million. This is made up of a baseline funding of £8.005 million plus one-off additional DTI funding of £l.7 million, giving a total of £9.75 million. This included £500,000 that was ring fenced for gender duty work.

Estate Agents

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to regulate and control estate agencies and those who act as estate agents.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Estate Agents Act 1979 regulates the conduct of estate agents in the course of estate agency work and gives the Office of Fair Trading the power to prohibit a person from acting as an estate agent.
	The Government are planning to improve the regulation of estate agents. In particular we will implement the provisions in the Housing Act 2004 concerning a redress scheme (such as an ombudsman) for estate agents by requiring agents to belong to such a scheme when home information packs (HIPs) are mandated under the Act—expected to be on 1 June 2007. The Government also intend to bring forward legislation to extend both the geographical scope of such a redress scheme and the kind of complaints that can be determined (since the 2004 Act applies only to England and Wales and concerns only complaints in relation to HIPs).
	The Government also plan to consult on other steps to improve the regulation of estate agents.

EU: Anti-dumping

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many anti-dumping investigations have been instituted by the European Union since the appointment of the present Commissioner for Trade.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Since the Commission headed by President Barroso took office on 22 November 2004, a total of 41 anti-dumping investigations have been initiated. Of these 15 relate to the opening of new anti-dumping cases and 26 relate to reviews of existing anti-dumping cases.

EU: Water Framework Directive

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many hydrologists will be required in the administration of the European Union Water Framework Directive; and
	Whether they have made an assessment of the availability of sufficient trained hydrologists to administer the European Union Water Framework Directive.

Lord Bach: The Environment Agency is currently carrying out a strategic review of hydrology expertise within the organisation to ensure that we have the capacity to meet our future obligations, including those related to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). At this stage, the exact number of hydrologists needed is not known.

Financial Services

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the impact on consumers of banking and financial services of the proposal by the European Union to make such services subject to VAT; and whether they will consider using their veto to prevent this.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The European Commission has not proposed charging VAT on supplies of financial services to consumers. As part of a public consultation, it is seeking views on a number of options to modernise the current rules and address VAT issues facing the sector.
	The Government welcome this review of the VAT treatment of financial and insurance services: it gives member states the opportunity to modernise the existing legislation, which has been in place since 1977.
	The review is at an early stage. The Government are working with interested business groups to ensure that the UK position is fully informed by an understanding of the potential impact of any future proposals on government revenues, the financial services sector and UK consumers.

Fish

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the percentage of wild-caught fish imported into the United Kingdom as pets which die before they are sold.

Lord Bach: Most wild-caught fish imported into the UK as pets are tropical species. No specific assessment has been made of mortalities on arrival or of mortalities between arrival and point of sale. However, all commercial consignments of live fish imported directly to the UK from third countries must be routed through a border inspection post and all consignments are subject to a programme of targeted inspection. Evidence from this inspection programme suggests that mortalities account for approximately 1 per cent of consignments of live fish.

Footwear

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the implications for the consumer and for trade and employment in the United Kingdom of the 20 per cent duty imposed by the European Union on footwear from China and Vietnam.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: When the provisional anti-dumping duty is fully imposed in September this year at a rate of 19.4 per cent for China and 16.8 per cent for Vietnam, the European Commission estimates that it will add approximately €1.50 (about £1) per pair to the import price of certain footwear with uppers of leather, based on an average import price of €8.50 per pair. Special technology athletic footwear (STAF), children's footwear and footwear with a protective toecap have been excluded from the duty. Sports footwear and indoor footwear will continue to remain free from anti-dumping duty, as they were not subject to the anti-dumping investigation.
	The precise impact on trade, employment and consumers will depend on the extent to which supply and distribution chains are able to or choose to absorb the duty and this is not yet clear.

Footwear

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of footwear sold in the United Kingdom is manufactured in Britain.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: This figure is not available from official statistics but the latest figures from the British Footwear Association show that in 2005 UK-produced footwear took 1.5 per cent of the UK market by volume, 5 per cent by value. The difference in the two figures is because UK production is concentrated on higher value products.

Footwear

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people are employed in the footwear industry.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: 6,000 people were employed in the UK footwear industry in 2004, the latest period for which official figures are available.
	(source: Office for National Statistics Annual Business Inquiry)

Footwear

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many member states of the European Union voted to impose a 20 per cent tariff on footwear from China and Vietnam; how many voted against the tariff; how many abstained; and how the United Kingdom voted.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Member states were consulted in the European Commission's advisory Anti-Dumping and Anti-Subsidy Committee on a proposal to impose a provisional anti-dumping duty at a rate of 19.4 per cent for China and 16.8 per cent for Vietnam on certain footwear with uppers of leather. The proposal is for the duty to be phased-in over a five month period starting at a rate of 4.8 per cent for China and 4.2 per cent for Vietnam on 7 April.
	Three member states supported the Commission's proposal, 10 member states opposed and 12 including the UK abstained.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What legal advice they have taken on the actions of the Ministry of Defence since the Pension Appeal Tribunal's decision in the case of Gulf War veteran Mark McGreevy to allow his appeal; and when and from whom it was taken.

Lord Drayson: I am withholding the information sought as it is subject to legal professional privilege.

Hepatitis C: Contaminated Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are content with the administration of the Skipton Fund for ex gratia payments for hepatitis C infection by contaminated National Health Service blood and blood products; and what ministerial surveillance there has been of its administration.

Lord Warner: The Skipton Fund is an independent company set up to make ex-gratia payments to those people who contracted hepatitis C through National Health Service treatment. In January 2006, Department of Health officials were notified about a fraud against the Skipton Fund. Officials in the department and the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Services are working with the Skipton Fund to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place to handle the administration of the scheme and prevent potential cases of maladministration.

Iraq: Military Casualties

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 13 March (WA 190), whether any internal guidance or any other form of briefing on the media handling of the death of the 100th British soldier in Iraq was issued by, or asked of, the Ministry of Defence; and
	Whether any guidance, internal or otherwise, or any other form of briefing on the media handling of the death of the 100th British soldier in Iraq was issued by, or asked of, Number 10 Downing Street, including the Prime Minister's Private Office.

Lord Drayson: Within government, the Ministry of Defence is responsible for managing media interest in the deaths of British service personnel. The policies which govern this are set out in a joint service publication and emphasise the need, where possible, to respect the wishes of the families. Advice was provided to Defence Ministers on the 100th fatality in Iraq and was consistent with these policies.

Iraq: Policing

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the replies by the Lord Drayson on 8 December 2005 (HL Deb, col. 746), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the selected conclusions of Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Iraq police review.

Lord Drayson: Sir Ronnie Flanagan's report on the Iraqi police service was commissioned as part of a process of internal review. As such, there are no plans to publish the final report. We will, of course, be reviewing the report's recommendations closely and will take appropriate action where necessary.

Museums and Galleries

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to put forward a new Museums and Galleries Acquisition Fund to match the support announced for the National Sports Foundation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 March.

Lord Davies of Oldham: We do not have plans to do so. The national museums and galleries sponsored by DCMS can purchase acquisitions using grant-in-aid, grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund or the National Heritage Memorial Fund, self-generated income (including bequests and donations) and grant from other sources such as the National Art Collections Fund.

Railways: Overcrowding

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether measures are in place to increase capacity so as to reduce passenger overcrowding on trains.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There are a wide variety of solutions for increasing capacity to reduce passenger crowding. These would include for example longer trains, more seats, redesign of carriages, increasing track capacity through infrastructure changes and re-timetabling to change the frequency of services. Such remedies are applied as appropriate and would be subject to affordability and value for money to the taxpayer.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what legislation HM Revenue and Customs is permitted to require train passengers to display their train tickets and provide evidence of date and place of purchase and method of payment.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Section 78 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, as amended by Section 4 of the Finance (No. 2 )Act 1992, empowers Customs officers, to require any persons entering or leaving the UK to answer such questions as the proper officer may put to them with respect to their baggage and anything contained therein or carried with them.
	In carrying out their duties under the legislation, officers will normally seek to establish the identity of the persons in relation to their baggage and whence they have travelled. While the law does not require the traveller to produce any specific form of identity or travel documentation, passports or travel tickets would normally assist in satisfying the officer's requirement.

Revenue and Customs: Legal Advice

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 13 March (WA 203), what assessment they have made for the latest year for which information is available of the cost of external legal advice received by HM Revenue and Customs, broken down between advice received on (a) taxation, and (b) other matters.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The records kept of costs of external legal advice are not currently held centrally and therefore this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Independent Sector Fees

Lord Chadlington: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into fee fixing at independent schools.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The OFT does not have figures that differentiate costs between cases pre-dating the launch of its dedicated time recording systems on 1 April 2004. However, I understand from the OFT that the cost of the independent schools investigation since 1 April 2004 is £325,000. This represents the direct costs recorded by staff in the OFT's competition enforcement division and does not include time spent by specialists in the OFT's legal division or the OFT's economic advice team in its markets and policy initiatives division.
	The investigation commenced in June 2003.

Schools: Sex Education

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will introduce measures to protect schools and their staff giving sex education to their pupils against the campaign by the UK Life League.

Lord Adonis: We do not believe that any school should be deterred from providing a comprehensive programme of sex and relationship education tailored to the age and maturity of pupils. Guidance on sex and relationship education was issued to schools in July 2000. This sets out the statutory requirements on schools in relation to sex education, including the requirements to teach pupils aged 14 to 16 about contraception. Schools must set out their approach to sex and relationship education within a policy available for inspection by parents.
	Schools following this guidance are acting within the law and should seek support from their local authority advisory service, and police where necessary, if subject to any intimidating activity from campaign groups.

Schools: Special and Mainstream Provision

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment of the relative benefits of special and mainstream schools is made before pupils are allocated to one or the other.

Lord Adonis: Children with special educational needs who do not have a statement must be educated in mainstream schools unless they are being placed in a special school for the purposes of carrying out a statutory assessment of their special educational needs. Parents of children with statements of special educational needs have the right to express a preference for any maintained school they wish their child to attend and the local education authority must, after consulting the school concerned, name the parents' preferred school in the statement unless it is unsuitable to the child's age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs, or the placement would be incompatible with the efficient education of the other children with whom they will be educated or with the efficient use of resources. Unless a parent indicates that they do not want their child to be educated in a mainstream school, for example by asking for a special school, the local authority must ensure that the child is educated in a mainstream school unless that is incompatible with the efficient education of other children and there are no reasonable steps that could be taken to prevent that.

Sea and Water

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much funding has been paid annually to Sea and Water since its formation; and how much is forecast to be paid to this organisation in future years.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Since its formation in 2003–04, Sea and Water has received £120,000 funding per annum from the Department for Transport for start up and running costs. This funding will cease in 2008–09 at the latest, after which Sea and Water will become entirely self-funding.

Small Businesses

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What lessons were learnt from the small to medium-sized enterprises procurement pilot projects led by the Office of Government Commerce in the West Midlands and the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Services in Haringey.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The pilots demonstrated that direct action with procurers and small businesses can result in increased levels of small businesses tendering for government business. During the pilot project in the West Midlands (June 2003 to June 2004) over 500 small businesses and 17 partner organisations from central and local government participated. At the start of the pilot, 14 per cent of the small businesses had successfully tendered for government contracts. Of contracts awarded through the pilot's opportunities portal at 30 June 2004, 26 per cent were won by small businesses helped in the pilot, and 26 per cent of businesses involved in the Haringey pilot increased their turnover.
	The following lessons were learnt:
	1. That small businesses liked and used the central portal on which public sector procurers advertised opportunities. Subsequently the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has supported the Small Business Service (SBS) to develop a web-based national opportunities portal on which public sector procurers can advertise contract opportunities easily accessible to small businesses (mainly those of a financial value beneath EU thresholds). The portal is due to go live in spring 2006 1 .
	2. That it will help if government develop supply chain guidance that raises awareness of the potential of small businesses among key suppliers to government. The Haringey pilot found that prime contractors in some sectors were more open to developing supply chain activities than in others, and recommended engagement with key prime contractors at a national level. As a result of the pilots, OGC has developed guidance on supply chain management and is working with both key suppliers and procurers to ensure that opportunities for small businesses in their supply chains are visible and accessible.
	3. That training for small businesses on how to tender helps small business to win tenders. The Small Business Service has worked with the nine regional development agencies to train over 3,000 small businesses based on content produced by OGC.
	4. That training for procurers is necessary to complement small business training and to encourage consistency. Over the past 12 months OGC has trained over 800 procurers nationwide focusing on the benefits of appropriate use of small businesses and a diverse supplier base; and how to remove obstacles.
	5. That a standardised pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) is a useful tool to cut down on bureaucracy. OGC has developed a standard, simplified pre-qualification document based on a self-certification model, specifically for use in procurements with a financial value beneath EU thresholds, and is now leading on the nationwide promotion of its use.
	6. That good practice and experience need to be shared. Haringey Council has disseminated its experience from the pilot to other boroughs though the London Regional Centre of Excellence.
	7. That local authority procurement processes should be explained on council websites—the SBS, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Government Association have promoted this through the small business concordat (a voluntary, non-statutory code of practice which sets out what small firms and others supplying local government can expect when tendering for local authority contracts).
	8. That the link between procurement strategy and the local community strategy should be recognised. The OGC has published guidance on the use of social clauses in procurement.
	1 (EC directives apply to public sector procurements above certain monetary thresholds. For central government, these thresholds are approximately £100,000 for goods and services and £4,000,000 for works)

Sport: Anti-doping

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8 March (WA 144), how the funding for UK Sport's national anti-doping programme for 2004–05 was broken down; and whether there will be additional costs for complying with the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The total expenditure of approximately £2.5 million for the national anti-doping programme in 2004–05 is broken down as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
			 Drug-free sport education programme 168,000 
			 Testing logistics 154,000 
			 Doping Control Officers 553,000 
			 Laboratory costs 757,000 
			 World Anti-Doping Code 20,000 
			 Information technology and systems 97,000 
			 Independent Anti-Doping Scrutiny Panel 340 
			 Staffing 520,000 
			 Overheads 203,000 
		
	
	The Government do not anticipate additional compulsory costs as a result of becoming party to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.

Sport: Anti-doping

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8 March (WA 144), whether they will change their policy on confidentiality of results for athletes tested for banned substances following any decision to comply with the UNESCO convention.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The UK's national anti-doping organisation, UK Sport, has no plans to change its policy regarding public disclosure of anti-doping rule violations as a result of the Government's intention to ratify the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport.
	The Government, by becoming party to the UNESCO convention, will further demonstrate their commitment to the principles of the World Anti-Doping Code. In turn, the code forms the basis for the UK's national anti-doping programme.
	In accordance with the code, disclosure of the identity of an athlete who has been found to have an adverse analytical finding, or is alleged to have committed an anti-doping rule violation, can occur after the review stage or no later than 20 days after it has been determined in a hearing that an anti-doping rule violation has not been timely challenged.
	With the code in mind, the policy is publicly to report the disciplinary outcome no later than 20 days after the final determination.
	UK Sport publishes recent findings in the Drug Results Database, which is made available to the public through its website. Furthermore, UK Sport publishes quarterly updates of the results from the drug-testing programme.

Sport: Anti-doping

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 8 March (WA 144), whether testing arrangements for anti-doping are in place to cover athletes in receipt of public funding when training abroad; and whether this extends to reciprocal arrangements for overseas athletes when training in the United Kingdom.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There are testing arrangements in place to cover athletes in receipt of public funding when training abroad.
	UK Sport agrees annually with sport's national governing bodies a pool of publicly funded athletes who will be considered for out-of-competition testing. To facilitate the collection of samples under the out-of-competition testing programme, athletes are required to provide UK Sport with their whereabouts, which includes their overseas training commitments.
	If an athlete is subsequently selected to provide a sample, UK Sport either sends one of its own doping control officers, or if one exists, arranges with the national anti-doping organisation operating in that country to collect a sample from the athlete.
	In addition, UK Sport as part of the International Anti-Doping Agreement, has testing arrangements in place with all signatories to the agreement, which includes New Zealand, Canada, Norway and Australia. Provision is made for signatories to conduct a specified number of doping tests on British athletes training in their country. The UK reciprocates this arrangement with the signatories.
	With the code in mind, the policy is publicly to report the disciplinary outcome no later than 20 days after the final determination.
	UK Sport publishes recent findings in the Drug Results Database, which is made available to the public through its website. Furthermore, UK Sport publishes quarterly updates of the results from the drug-testing programme.

Taxation: Corporation Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 15 March (WA 243–4), for the latest year for which figures are available, what would be the net cost to the Exchequer of abolishing marginal relief at the small companies rate if the main rate of corporation tax (a) remained at 30 per cent; (b) was reduced to 29 per cent; (c) was reduced to 28 per cent; (d) was reduced to 27 per cent; (e) was reduced to 26 per cent; and (f) was reduced to 25 per cent for profits over £300,000.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The full-year yield for 2006–07 from abolishing marginal relief for profits over £300,000 would range from around £0.5 billion against a main rate of corporation tax of 30 per cent to around £0.1 billion against a main rate of 25 per cent. The lower figure of £410 million for cost of relief against the 30 per cent rate given in the previous reply related to 2003–04, the latest year for which actual figures were available.
	As published in the 2005 Tax Ready Reckoner located at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/FA1/96/pbr05–taxreadyreckoner–223.pdf, the full-year cost for 2006–07 of reducing the main rate of corporation tax from 30 per cent to 29 per cent would be around £1.5 billion, ignoring behavioural effects. The full year direct revenue effect of a one percentage point reduction in main rate and abolition of marginal relief for profits over £300,000 would therefore be a net cost in excess of £1 billion.
	It is not appropriate to extrapolate the cost of reducing the main rate to lower values because a change of this magnitude would be likely to have a major impact on company behaviour and therefore major indirect as well direct effects on tax revenues.

Taxation: Corporation Tax

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated loss of revenue to HM Exchequer if corporation tax rates were reduced in Northern Ireland from 30 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information is not available to estimate the loss of revenue if corporation tax rates were reduced in Northern Ireland.
	The corporation tax regime is a UK-wide system and to introduce different rates in different parts of the UK could distort competition. Many companies trade in different regions of the UK. It would not be easy to determine which proportion of their profits were liable at which rate. In addition, such a measure could also create opportunities for some companies to manipulate the rules simply to benefit from a lower rate. This would result in a system that would place a significant administrative burden on both businesses and the Government.

Taxation: Income Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 15 March (WA 229–30), for the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of unifying the age related personal allowances at the level of those aged (a) 65 to 74, and (b) 75 and over; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 15 March (WA 229–30), for the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of unifying the age related married couples allowances at the level of those aged (a) 65 to 74, and (b) 75 and over; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 14 March (WA 221), for the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of people who are subject to income tax who have (a) one employment, and (b) more than one employment during the year.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			 Policy option Yield/Cost (£ million)(+ve is an Exchequer yield) 
			 Increase the married couples allowance for people aged less than 75 to that for those aged 75 and over -2 
			 Decrease the married couples allowance for those aged 75 and over to that for people aged less than 75 +3 
			 Increase the personal allowance for 65 to 74 year olds to that for those aged 75 and over -50 
			 Decrease the personal allowance for those aged 75 and over to that for 65 to 74 year olds +35 
		
	
	Note:
	Married couples where the eldest partner was born before 6 April 1935 are eligible for the married couples allowance. Tax relief for this allowance is restricted to 10 per cent.
	The information in the table is based upon the 2003–04 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2005–06 in line with March 2006 Budget assumptions.
	Information on the number of taxpayers with more than one employment is not readily available except at a disproportionate cost. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes information on the number of workers with a second job. The information is available on the ONS website: www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme–labour/LMS–FR—HS/WebTable03.xls. The ONS figures represent a snapshot—individuals' employment pattern may vary during the year.

Taxation: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people in Northern Ireland are currently paying the higher tax rate; and how many were doing so in 1997.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: There were an estimated 30,000 and 50,000 higher rate taxpayers in Northern Ireland in 1997–98 and 2003–04 respectively.
	The information is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) and 2003–04 is the latest survey year.
	Caution should be exercised when drawing trends from regional estimates because the estimates are subject to larger sampling errors due to year-on-year sampling variations in the survey.

Taxation: VAT

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make an application to the European Commission by 31 March, in accordance with the agreement reached by the European Union Council of Ministers in February, to extend Annex K of the Sixth European Union VAT Directive until 2010 in order that the United Kingdom can keep open the option to introduce a reduced rate of VAT in respect of the labour component of repairs to older buildings at any time during the next five years.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The VAT reduced rate for the renovation and repair of private dwellings is one of a number introduced into EU legislation on an experimental basis whose objective is to create employment opportunities by stimulating demand through lower prices. The Government have always chosen not to participate, as we believe that our employment objectives are better targeted through measures such as the welfare to work strategy and New Deal, which have contributed to the 2.4 million rise in employment since 1997. We continue to take this view.

World War I: Battle of Jutland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the Battle of Jutland (31 May to 1 June 1916).

Lord Drayson: A Royal Navy ship and a federal German navy ship are currently planned to rendezvous at the battle site, during the period 31 May to 1 June 2006, to undertake a commemorative wreath laying ceremony. This is, however, subject to any emerging higher priority operational commitments.